Opener for removing champagne-type corks

Abstract

An opener (10) for removing a cork (36) from a champagne-type bottle (12)in a generally straight line comprises a frame (20, 22) contactable with the bottle by a pivotable annulus (60) so that the opener can be maintained generally immobile with respect to the bottle during removal of the cork. A pair of tongs (32) are slidable in channels within arms (30) so that the tongs may be moved towards and from the mouth of the bottle. The tongs are pivotable with respect to one another so that, when they are moved upwardly from the mouth of the bottle by a rack (46) engaging gear segments (50) on handles (54), the tongs can pivot towards one another to secure better engagement with the cork to effect movement of the tongs and the cork engaged thereby in a direction away from the bottle. The tongs are also pivotable to accommodate corks of different sizes, and the wires binding the cork to the bottle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An opener for simultaneously removing a cork and accompanying safety wires from a champagne-type bottle in a generally straight line, in which the bottle has a main body, a mouth portion for retaining the cork and a sloping portion extending from the mouth portion to the main body, comprising: a frame having a longitudinal axis and including an extension terminating in ends positionable adjacent to the bottle sloping portion;   means for engaging the cork and the safety wires;   means coupling said engaging means to said frame for urging said engaging means towards the cork and the wires and for effecting movement of said engaging means and the cork and wires engaged thereby in a generally straight line along the longitudinal axis, for removal of the cork and wires simultaneously from the bottle; and   an annulus pivotally secured to said extension ends by pivot means having an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis, said annulus being positionable about the bottle and contactable with the sloping portion such that the axis of rotation passes through the bottle at the sloping portion, for enabling said frame and said engaging means to pivot with respect to said annulus and the bottle and thereby for enabling said cork-engaging means to pivot towards the mouth portion and about the cork and the wires prior to the removal of the cork, and for enabling said engaging means and the cork and wires to pivot away from the mouth portion after the removal of the cork and wires therefrom during contact of said annulus with the bottle.   
     
     
       2. An opener according to claim 1 in which said engaging means comprises a collar and a pair of tongs respectively having first and second portions spaced from one another by an intermediate portion, said first portions being disposed to grip the cork, means for pivotably securing said second portions to said collar, and said collar having a connection with said frame for enabling the movement. 
     
     
       3. An opener according to claim 2 in which: the cork has a shank an enlarged head secured thereto to provide a connecting underside therebetween, and   said first portions of said tongs respectively are configured as ledges engageable with spaced portions of said underside.   
     
     
       4. An opener according to claim 3 in which said frame comprises a pair of arms having facing channels which extend generally parallel to the lline, in which said intermediate portions of said tongs respectively are slidably engaged, and which restrict said tongs to pivoting within a plane defined by the plane of the longitudinal and rotational axes. 
     
     
       5. An opener according to claim 4 in which said ledeges have a greater width than that of said intermediate portions fitting within said channels, to prevent movement of said ledges into said channels, 
     
     
       6. An opener according to claim 2 in which said frame comprises a pair of arms having facing channels which extend generally parallel to the line, in which said intermediate portions of said tongs respectively are slidably engaged, and which restrict said tongs to pivoting within a plane defined by the plane of the longitudinal and rotational axes. 
     
     
       7. An opener according to claim 6 in which said collar includes a bar having parallel sides, and said second portions include segments positioned respectively on and against said parallel sides, and further including a pivot interconnecting said bar and said segments to enable said tongs to pivot with respect to said collar. 
     
     
       8. An opener according to claim 7 in which each of said segments is terminated by a flat surface, and each of said second portions includes a ledge facing towards and slightly spaced from said flat surface of said other second portion to enable pivotable rocking of said tongs both to accommodate orks of different sizes and to enable movement of said first portions into engagement with said cork. 
     
     
       9. An opener according to claim 8 in which: the cork has a shank with an enlarged head secured thereto to provide a connecting underside therebetween,   a protective wire is placed about the cork and secured to the bottle,   said first portions of said tongs respectively are configured as ledges engageable with spaced portions of said underside, and   said segments have a length sufficient to permit said intermediate portion and said ledges to extend about both the cork and the protective wire prior to its release from being secured to the bottle.   
     
     
       10. An opener for removing a cork from a champagne-type bottle having shoulders sloping outwardly from its mouth, comprising: a frame having a longitudinal axis and including an extension having an end positionable adjacent the bottle shoulders;   means coupled to said frame and including a mechanism engageable with the cork for pulling the cork from the bottle in a generally straight line along the longitudinal axis; and   means pivoted to said extension end by pivot mens having an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis, said pivoted means being contactable with the bottle shoulders such that the axis of rotation passes therethrough, for pivoting said frame and said cork-engaging means about the bottle and, thereby, for pivoting said cork-engaging mechanism into engagement with the cork during contact of said pivoted means with the bottle shoulders.   
     
     
       11. For use with a bottle sealed with a champagne-type cork in which the bottle has sloping shoulders extending downwardly and spaced from the bottle,s mouth and neck, an opener comprising: means adapted tgo engage the cork;   an extension coupled to and extending from said cork-engaging means nd housing a longitudinal axis;   means pivoted to said extension by pivot means having an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to and coplanar with th®longitudinal axis, said pivoted means being contactable with the bottle shoulders such that the axis of rotation passes therethrough and spaced from said cork-engaging means sufficient to permit said extension and said cork-engaging means to pivot about the bottle and said cork-engaging means to pivot towards and away from the mouth and neck when said pivoted means is in contat with the shoulders; and   a lifting mechnism coupled between said cork-engaging means and said extension for lifting said cork-engaging means and the cork engaged thereby away from said pivoted means and the bottle mouth along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
       12. An opener accoridng to claim 11 wherein safety wires secure the cork to the bottle, said cork-engaging means having a configuration to receive the wires. 
     
     
       13. For use with a bottle sealed with a champagne-type cork, in which the bottle has sloping shoulders extending downwardly and spaced from the bottle's mouth and neck, an opener comprising: means adapted to engage the cork;   legs having a longitudinal axis and coupled to said cork-engaging means and having ends and an annulus whgich is pivoted to said leg ends by pivot means having an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis, said annulus surrounding and contacting the bottle shoulder and being spaced from said cork-engaging means sufficient to permit said legs and said cork-engaging means to pivot about said annulus towards and away from the mouth and neck when said annulus is in contact with the shoulders; and   a lifting mechanism coupled between said cork-engaging means and said legs for lifting said corkengaging means and the cork engaged thereby away from said annulus and the bottle mouth along the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
       14. An opener according to claim 13 in which said cork-engaging means, said legs and said lifting mechanism have a substanially flat configuration lying generally in a plane defined by the plane of the longitudinal and rotational axes, and said annulus is pivotable into substantially the plane defined by the flat configuration.